Kit
by Ruby Moon-Snape
Summary: Keith sneezes, but Thace mistakes it for a serious illness. It turns out Keith is getting sick and he was just going to ignore it. Thace, Ulaz, Antok, and Kolivan learn a little bit about their new member's past and determine that Keith needs a family. Family fluff.


Disclaimer: I don't own Voltron: Legendary Defender.

Author Note: This is AU, where Ulaz, Thace, and Antok lived. Keith and Shiro are not related in any way. They are simply close friends.

"Title"

Everyone was in the lounge, relaxing. The Paladins were on their various devices, and the Blades of Marmora were reading. Allura and Coran were simply sitting enjoying the relative silence. A sneeze broke the silence. No one except Thace reacted. He looked up from his book, scanning the assembled group. He didn't see anything out of place, so he looked back down. Another sneeze was heard, and this time Kolivan and Thace both looked up. They stared at the Paladins and caught the sight of Keith sneezing. Thace left his book on the couch and swiftly approached the Red Paladin. He picked him up and threw him over his shoulder. All four Galra left the room, leaving behind confused Paladins and Alteans.

Keith was confused. Why did Thace pick him up, and where were they taking him? Keith couldn't see where they were going, but he could see Ulaz and Antok behind Thace. A quick look to the side showed Kolivan beside Thace. 'Okay. So all four Blades are taking me somewhere,' Keith thought. He looked at Ulaz. "Ulaz? What's going on?"

"Don't worry, kit. We'll take care of you," Ulaz said calmly.

"But I'm not sick," Keith insisted. He sneezed right after that, which seemed to make Thace go faster. In no time, they entered Thace's room. Thace placed Keith on the couch, and the four Blades proceeded to cover him with blankets to his dismay.

"Don't worry, kit," Thace soothed, when he caught sight of Keith's expression. "We know how to take care of-"

"I am not sick!" Keith raised his voice. The Blades stopped. Usually Keith didn't raise his voice at any of them.

"Keith? What's wrong?" Kolivan asked.

"I'm not sick." Keith slowly peeled the blankets off of him. "It was just a sneeze."

He sneezed again. Ulaz raised an eyebrow at him. Keith peeled off all of the blankets except one. The light purple Galra approached Keith and examined his face. "You don't seem well."

Keith placed the back of his hand to his forehead and then to each of his cheeks. He sighed and put another blanket back on. "All right. You win. I will stay here, but that doesn't mean I need taken care of. I have always taken care of myself."

"What do you mean?" Thace asked.

"I have been alone almost my whole life. I-" Keith cut himself off when he caught sight of the faces of all four Blades. "What?"

Thace growled. "You are a kit. Kits are not supposed to be alone."

Keith didn't know what to say. All four Blades seemed genuinely upset at the news of him being alone almost his whole life. He shrank back under the blankets, not liking the growls coming from the four Galra. Without meaning to, Keith let out a whine. The whine made each of the Blades stop growling. They looked at the lump of blankets that Keith had burrowed under to escape from their growling.

"Kit?" Ulaz lifted the top blanket, revealing Keith's eyes. "It's okay. We're not angry at you."

"We don't know how it is for your father's species, but Galran kits are not supposed to be left alone," Kolivan explained.

"Technically, kids are not supposed to be left on their own either but stuff happens," Keith added with a shrug.

"What happened to your father?" Thace asked.

Keith dropped his gaze to the floor. "He died when I was little."

"How little?" Ulaz questioned.

"Seven," Keith whispered. "I have been taking care of myself for eleven years."

Antok growled at that admission. "Unacceptable."

Thace sat down next to Keith and placed a hand on his head. "From now on, you are our kit. We are your family."

Keith looked up at Thace. "You don't have to do that."

"Let us do it anyway. You are part Galra and a fellow Blade, but you are also just a kit to us. We take care of kits," Ulaz comforted.

"I did have Shiro looking after me when I started Galaxy Garrison," Keith admitted.

"I could tell how important he was to you during your Trials," Kolivan replied.

"He's like a brother to me."

"Do you want him to know we have you?" Ulaz asked.

"If you don't mind." Keith snuggled into the blankets and leaned against Thace.

Ulaz nodded and left the room. He made his way to the lounge and reentered the room. He met Shiro's gaze. "Shiro, I need to have a word with you."

Shiro stood up and followed the light colored Galra out into the hall. "What is it, Ulaz?"

"Keith is sick. He's in Thace's room right now. He wanted you to know."

"May I see him?"

"Yes." Ulaz led Shiro down the hall. "We have also learned something very disturbing about him. He had no one to look after him between his father dying and meeting you. He was a very young kit and all on his own."

"That is bad. I didn't know. He doesn't talk about his past."

"We have decided to make him our kit."

"You mean, you're going to be his family?"

"Yes." Ulaz led Shiro into Thace's room.

Shiro located the Red Paladin under some blankets on the couch. "Keith?"

"Shiro? You're here." Keith raised a hand, which Shiro clasped in his.

"Yes, I'm here. Ulaz came to get me." Shiro felt Keith's forehead with the back of his left hand. "Hmm. You are warm. You should stay here with your dads."

"Dads?" Keith echoed.

"Ulaz said you were their kit, which makes them your dads."

"I think I like that, though it might be the fever talking," Keith mentioned.

"Well, you're in good hands. Rest and get better, brother." Shiro left the room but not without a look over his shoulder. Keith was leaning against Thace again.

"You should listen to your brother, kit," Thace commented.

"All right...Dad."

Thace smiled at his kit, who was falling asleep against him, and Thace didn't mind. He would take care of his kit whenever he needed it.

Fin


End file.
